Karen

Karen recently spoke as a panelist in the Architectural League of New York’s lecture series, Current Work: Revisiting Branch Libraries. Marking 10 years since the completion of the Architectural League’s Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study, this lecture explored approaches to accessibility as public libraries continue to evolve through the current work of the firms that led the Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study in 2014. Additional panel speakers included Andrew Berman of Andrew Berman Architect, and Stella Betts and David Leven of LEVENBETTS. The panel was moderated by Leah Meisterlin.

Our 2014 Re-envisioning Branch Libraries study analyzed the 207 branch libraries within the New York Public Library system, Queens Library system, and the Brooklyn Public Library system looking at data related to public and social infrastructure, demographics, growth, and resiliency. The study also included a proposal for a new co-development opportunity that includes library space, affordable housing, and retail space. Read more about the Re-envisioning Branch Libraries project here.

Image courtesy of @archleague on Instagram

This November, Karen led her advanced elective studio course for Barnard and Columbia seniors to Cyprus where they are working in collaboration with the University of Nicosia faculty and students. Karen, along with Barnard alum Alessandra Swiny, a faculty member at the Architecture Research Center at UNIC, are jointly leading studios to research and propose design projects for the internal refugee housing in Nicosia. This housing, built as temporary housing in the 70’s and now owned by the original occupants, suffers from continual disinvestment in the social spaces and shared infrastructure. The studio topic more broadly addresses global issues of migration, identity, untold histories, trauma, community, and the role of architecture in the design of our built environments. Students have been framing their interests, adjusting their work after intense on-site research, and developing projects relating to a broad range of topics including: adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure, social infrastructure for community gathering and collecting local histories, spaces for local agriculture and circular economies supporting local food production, and support for diverse religions outside the dominant religious cultures in Cyprus.

This is the inaugural year of the Barnard Architecture + Design Summer Institute – a program that offers young women in high school an opportunity to learn about how design and architecture shape the built environment through project-based learning, field trips, and opportunities to meet designers and others involved in this work. Founded by partner, Karen Fairbanks, and supported by many at Barnard College, this three-week program is generously funded by the IDC Foundation for two years.

The program is developed for students who may not have access to such a specialized design program. And while all costs such as travel, museum admissions, meals and similar expenses are covered, it also provides a generous $1,000 stipend, so students don’t have to choose between a summer job and this experience. We are optimistic that opportunities like this will ultimately increase the diversity of students interested in pursuing the study of architecture and related fields.

The program is being taught by Barnard faculty member, Lindsay Harkema, and an alumna of the Barnard + Columbia Architecture (B+C | A) Department, Elsa Mäki CC’17. Course Assistants are from the architecture major and include Hazel Lu CC’24, Georgia Dillane BC’25, and Sebastian Bango CC’23, and the program is also collaborating with the Barnard Design Center. The committee who worked with Karen to shape this program included: faculty member, Kadambari Baxi; Barnard and Columbia alumni Elisa Ours BC’98, Jane Lea BC’00, and Josh Foster CC’16; and architecture majors: Amiziah Vaughn BC’23, Sophie Sebuh CC’23, and Logan Shorthair CC’23; with additional support from MFA and Barnard alum Rebecca Siqueiros BC’20 and Department Assistant Rachel Garcia-Grossman. The program is designed to create a multi-tiered mentoring structure between faculty, alumni, undergraduates, design professionals, and high school students that can become a model for pipeline development.

In September, Karen was one of four keynote speakers at the 2022 AIA Iowa National Convention Des Moines. The very generous hosts showed off the stellar modern architecture in the city – one highlight was the 1968 addition to the Des Moines Art Center by I. M. Pei.   

Karen is highlighted in the recently published book, “The Women Who Changed Architecture” by Princeton Architectural Press. The book includes profiles of over 100 women, spanning from the nineteenth century to today, sharing stories, successes, and legacies of women who made and continue to make fundamental contributions to the field of architecture.

Karen is featured in the section titled “Raising the Roof,” with an introduction written by Julia Gamolina, Founder of Madame Architect. The spread highlights several of Karen’s achievements at Marble Fairbanks including Glen Oaks Library, Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center, and “Reenvisioning Branch Libraries.” The piece also discusses her pivotal role at Barnard College. The feature celebrates Karen’s accomplishments and underscores them as means of making architecture more equitable and inclusive. 

Read more about the book here.